Preparation for repelling gnats and similar insects



1 application of the essential oils in Patented Sept. 1, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE ALBRECHT SCHMIDT, OF HOCHST-ON-THE-MAIN, GERMANY, ASSIGNOB, BY MESN E ASSIGNMENTS, 'IO WINTHROP CHEMICAL COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A 003- POBATION OF NEW YORK PREPARATION REPELLING GNATS AND SIMILAR INSECTS No Drawing. Application filed September 20, 1927, Serial No. 220,847, and in Germany September 20, 1928.

My present invention relates to preparations for repelling gnats and similar insects. Certain substances in particular essential oils, are known to have a'repelling action 5 on gnats, mosquitoes, midges, culieidae and similar insects, so that when applied to the skin, they serve 'to protect the parts of the skin so treated from the bite or sting of these insects. Hitherto, the essential oils, or mixtures thereof have been used for this purpose either as such or inthe form of a 3 solution in ether or alcohol, thatis to say, the parts of the skin which are particular y ,exposed to attack by the. insects have been 1:5 treated with the liquid oil, or with the oil in solution.

It is desirable that-preparations for the purpose 'in question should retain their prophylactic action for some time after their application to the skin; for instance, when the preparation' is applied for the purpose .of preventing attackhby the insects during the hours of repose, it is highli' desirable that the preparati'onshould retain its activit at least for several hours, if not for the w ole night. These requirements are not fulfilled in a wholly satisfactory, manner by the manner hitherto recommended.

v 01 1 My invention is based on the observation thatthe action of essential oils and other vegetable extracts in repelling moths has an essentially longer duratlon if the material is vmade into the form of an ointment and applied to the skin in this form. The invention accordingly consistsyin a manufacture of preparations which repel gnats and like insects by bringing an essentlal oil of any vegetable origin or a mixture of two or more against such insects, into the form of an ointment or salve by incorporating it in a basis which is applicable in the preparation of .ointments, for example lanoline, vaseline, gum-tragacanth, carrageen moss gum or like mucilaginous material, or.an aqueous thickening agent. The preparations so obtained are considerabl superior, l in comparison with the etherea oils applied as such or in the form of a solution, as regards the duration A (arbor vitae) '-oi .oil so such oils), or a .ve table'- extract effective of their eiiicacy in repelling the insects when applied to the skin.

If instead of fatty substances there are used as the basis for the ointment aqueous thickening agents, such as themucilage obtained from gum tragacanth or carrageen moss, the preparations so made have the furv ther particular property that they produce, evenafter the bite of the insect has occurred, an anaesthetic action and a cool feeling on the skin, so that the effects of. the bite soon disappear. The new ointments contain at least 8% of essential oils. 7

The following examples illustrate the invention, the parts being by weight 1. An ointment having a veryv good repellant action may for instance be prepared my mixing 92 parts of mucilage obtained from carrageen moss, 5 parts of cedar-oil, and 4 parts of juniper-oil.

2. Another preparation ofigood efliciency is obtained by mixing 88 parts of mueilage' obtained from tragacanth, 5 parts of tem lin-oil, 2 parts of juniper-oil, 5 parts of thu a (arbor vitae) -oil.

I claim:

1. A preparation for repelling gnats and similar insects, consisting of an ointment composed of 88 parts of mucilage obtained from gum tragacanth, 5 parts of tem lin oil, 2 parts of juni r-oil and 5 parts 0 thuja- 2. Preparations for repelling gnats and similar insects consisting of an ointment containing at least. 8% of'at least one essential ected from the' group consistin of cedar-oil, juniper-oil, templin-oil and t uja' (arbor vitae)j.+'oil, the remainder being an aqueous thickening agent obtained from a vegetable mucilage as ointment basis.

3. Preparations for repelling gnats and similar insects consisting of an ointment containing at least 8% of at least one essentialoil selected irom the group consisting of cedaroil, juni 'r-oil, templin-oil, and thuja (arbor 9 vitae) -oi the remainder being a mucilage obtained from gum tragacanth as ointment basis. I

Intestimony whereof I afiixmy signature. Y ALBRE HT SCHMIDT. I 

